Mary Jo White Honored at Law School Ceremony

Fordham President Joseph M. McShane, S.J., congratulates
Mary Jo White.
Photo by Chris Taggart

Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White was honored on Tuesday, Nov. 18 with one of Fordham Law School's highest honors, the Fordham-Stein Prize.

First awarded in 1976, the award is presented annually to a member of the legal profession whose work embodies the highest standards of the legal profession.

Recipients who are chosen exemplify outstanding professional conduct, promote the advancement of justice, and bring credit to the profession by emphasizing in the public mind the contributions of lawyers to our society and to our democratic system of government.

White, who was was sworn in as the 31st Chair of the SEC on April 10, 2013, arrived with decades of experience as a federal prosecutor and securities lawyer.

She served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1993 to 2002, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and later Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York from 1990 to 1993, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1978 to 1981 and became Chief Appellate Attorney of the Criminal Division.

Following her service as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Chair White became chair of the litigation department at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York. Chair White has won numerous awards in recognition of her outstanding work both as a prosecutor and a securities lawyer.

Mary Jo White and Fordham Law Dean Michael Martin
Photo by Chris Taggart